Worship Musician August 2019 | Page 77

KIDS WORSHIP
CULTIVATE A CULTURE OF WORSHIP | By Yancy
Last time I shared some thoughts with you reach, but, there are songs like “We Believe”, eight weeks or six months. Make a list of what
about steps you can take to cultivate a culture “Good Good Father” or “Oceans” that work has improved, grown, taken steps. It will help
of worship within your church. Remember, each well with a wide variety of ages. You can break you and those that serve with you to stop and
age group is a step in the development and the barriers of age by creating a set filled with reflect and evaluate what is/isn’t working and
should help individuals grow toward the next some of these congregational and Christian what the next step needs to be. And at times
step. Each ministry area should be working radio hit songs that young and old can be what song needs to not be done anymore or
together to build upon the foundation that has familiar with. Fill up a special night with those go on a hiatus. As you evaluate on an ongoing
been laid before. I want to challenge you with songs by giving families an opportunity to basis: weekly, monthly, quarterly, use the
these additional steps. worship together. Break up the night and have mission statement as the bar to check and see
the different teams that lead worship for your how you are progressing and developing kids
FOCUS ON WORSHIP.
church work together. You could do mini-sets in their understanding of and participation in
worship focused on different age levels, or mix things up worship.
with a series focused on the subject. A throughout the night to create an environment lack of participation comes from a lack of where all ages in a family can worship together.
Teach
your
congregation
about
Take some time to reflect on your current
understanding of what worship is and why we worship culture. Ask yourself these questions:
do it. You may be in a season where to help •
those you lead understand it more you focus in
for a time doing a sermonette during worship
about the subject. Any age group can focus
in and grow in their Biblical understanding of
A lack of
worship each week?
•
services to sing and worship.
For instance, I’ve met children’s leaders who
•
comes from •
how will they ever learn if they never experience
them? Don’t steal from them their opportunity
to worship. Go through the messy challenges
a lack of
“The task of the modern educator is not to cut
How have you seen growth over the past
six months in how your congregation
worships?
Please
understanding of
what worship is
of change to help teach them what worship is
about and how they can do it. C.S. Lewis said,
How do you get the boys/men in your
class to get involved?
say “we don’t do slow songs because our kids
don’t know how to respond to them.” Hmmm,
How do you have people model how to
participate?
participation
worship. This should be obvious but it isn’t
always so make sure you make time in your
How do you teach about why and how to
remember,
worship
happening
in
another room is not competition to what you
do in kid’s worship. For every age, worshipping
God is a key part of why we gather as believers
and our personal walk with Christ. As you begin
this conversation and develop a relationship
and why we do it.
down jungles but to irrigate deserts.” This is a
with the leadership in your church, I believe
what you can accomplish together will be far
greater than what you can each do on your
beautiful word picture of what it’s like to teach
own. Developing a vision for worship at every
hearts how to direct their affection to the Lord Another idea is to bring in a guest worship age level is a worthy and important task. I can’t
in worship. leader that can lead a wide range of ages to wait to see the harvest that comes from the
create a special night of worship for families. (I seeds you plant.
Build a culture of worship where not only are
know a great girl who does that! :) )
they given the experience but they understand
how to respond and participate in it.
SET TIMES TO EVALUATE.
Especially in the seasons we want big change
Lastly, have worship nights. Yes, ministries it’s easy to get discouraged feeling like the
that are strategic will have different sounding change isn’t happening. Set times to reflect and
and looking worship for the different ages they evaluate how you have seen growth in the past
Yancy
Yancy is a worship leader and songwriter for kids that
travels the globe doing family concerts and training
worship leaders. Every week her songs are used in
thousands of churches around the world. Yancy
has a passion to serve the Church which is why she
created “Heartbeat”, a five lesson curriculum series
to teach kids the heart of worship while exploring
David’s life. She lives with her husband and sons in
Nashville, TN. ©2019 Yancy Ministries, Inc.
YancyMinistries.com